Chelsea 1-0 Man United: What we learned

Following Man United’s 1-0 loss at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, contributing writer, Nathan Quao, of Citi Sports, Accra, notes some of the themes from the encounter.

Hunger and drive make the difference once again

Talk about tactics and game plans and you will be justified but Chelsea’s victory over the Red Devils was built on the will to win and get a response to the UEFA Champions League loss to AS Roma.

They were quicker to everything and they were willing to run and make things happen. Man United matched them for the first 45 minutes and that was that at least until ten or so minutes to the end.

The period preceding Chelsea’s goal underlined the force behind the two teams.

While Chelsea kept picking up the loose balls and having secondary attempts at trying to get the breakthrough, United looked sloppy and unwilling to push upwards and get possession.

Eventually, the goal came and the game was up. A goal that was made easy to score by Chris Smalling’s failure to pick up Alvaro Morata.

The season is long but it will become short for the Red Devils if the needed ambition and willingness is absent. Talent is great but you need spirit, hunger and the winning attitude to get huge results.

At the moment, the team still lacks in that department and something must be done.

Man United misses Pogba and it was very evident

It is unbelievable to notice how flat and uninspiring Man United look without the arrogance of Paul Pogba.

The Frenchman’s abilities were beginning to come to the fore until a hamstring injury kept him out since the first Champions League match in September.

And now, the team is struggling.

Pogba may not have the skills of Henrikh Mkhitaryan as a proper play-maker but he has the arrogance and guts to try something when the team is still very afraid.

He will try a pass, a long range shot, a free kick, and a run to set the pulses racing.

The Red Devils lack that at the moment and they are paying the price dearly.

Of course, Mkhitaryan has been off the boil in recent weeks and he must get better.

It is difficult to tell if Jose Mourinho is shackling him or he is struggling with the physical nature of the league. But it is clear that without Pogba, Mkhitaryan has no one making runs from midfield to take a pass.

The Armenian is very much a rhythm player and there is none at the moment. Maybe he needs sometime on the bench to get him going again.

It is also clear that no one is feeding Romelu Lukaku well these days. His only chance at Chelsea came because a forward pass found him in a good place.

He cannot drop deep and make things happen like Alvraro Morata and that should prompt Jose Mourinho to get to the doctor and ask when Pogba is returning. He can cover the yards and set Lukaku on his merry way to the goal.

The spiral effect of Paul Pogba’s absence is punching Man United hard in the gut and they must find a way to stop the rot before it gets more complicated.

To park or not to park the bus?

Which approach would have made more sense? Staying compact and playing for a point and trying to win and open up?

It is always a difficult question especially if you manage a big side like Man United. Jose Mourinho’s record against the big teams especially on the road has been questioned in the past and it will come under heavy scrutiny again.

But what is the best thing to do?

How about having a good defensive base and the ability to break with deadly precision?

That looks like an approach that can work because the manager will not be overly excited on the road except against very beatable opposition.

This season, Man City’s win at Chelsea, Spurs’ demolition on Liverpool, and this loss at Chelsea are three examples of great counter-attacking play.

Even Man United’s 3-2 win at Chelsea and at Man City in the 2012/2013 season were hinged on playing counter attacking football.

Maybe the manager will say that he needs a fuller team to do it but he must starting averting his mind to being compact away from home and still playing dangerous attacking football.

He must begin to look at his team and use the players who can provide what is needed quickly.

The season is moving on and the Red Devils must keep the fight going. The war to win the Premier League title is mostly won by grabbing home points but some away points are needed even if they need to be picked at the home of tough teams.

No one said the road to greatness was an easy one and Mourinho knows it too well. He must start showing us that he is to ready to be smart but deadly on the road.

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140 Comments

Mike
If we could get only 2 players in January ( and if the board insist, let's sell 2-4, we cab do it)
I'll prioritize an attacking central midfielder and a winger.
Let Mikhi and Mata alternate the 10 position the rest of the season, just like Martial and Rashford are doing.
Maybe we get the best out of them.
If one or both fail, replace with a Griezmann in the summer, with Perreira as an understudy for the 7 and 10 positions.

Yusuf
You want to continue the same mistakes that are plaguing us. Carrick and fellaini are not back ups. We tried that route already, its not going to work. Personally I think we should freeze all transfer activities till the summer. Work with what we have and look at it again in the summer. I wouldn't sanction any buys in January

Bryan
Lims is working on the assumption that Jose will be gone in the summer.
Wishful thinking.

Besides sabotage, what other reason is there to with hold funds for 1-2 players this January, when there is an obvious need, we have a good chance in most competitions THIS SEASON, and we have the money?

Jose won't be the first United manager to purchase a player or two in January. Haba!

Very few January transfers work for immediate gains.I'll stand corrected but as far as i remember Vidic and Evra have been Utd's 2 best January signings but both struggled early didn't become really effective until the following season both were also bought for very low fees,so nether were panic buys.
I read the other day Arsenal want 30 mill for Ozil despite only having 5 months or so left on his contract so gives a good indication how premium is normally paid in January.Any team still challenging for anything aren't going to give up quality, so the question has to be asked what kind of players are available and at what price.
The reports won't go away about Jose still being unhappy about Perisic not being signed and the ongoing tension between him and the board which has intensified since his PSG remarks.Also that he's looking for a pay rise and that other clubs are interested in hiring him.So i don't find it a stretch that unless Jose has a successful season he could be gone.

Evra and Vidic were both signed for less than 10 mill and struggled early onThey were purchased as longtime future buys not January panic buys.
They were both used pretty sparingly Evra 14 and Vidic 15 appearances

Bryan
Because any signing is likely to be a band aid or at best a stop gap. The squad needs real looking after not some enforced buy because of prior piss poor planning. How long did I moan about a second MF all summer, if an arm chair critic could clearly see the dangers ahead what excuse does management have? And honestly the truth is I don't trust mou to make the right choice. Will it be another player who'll win him a trophy or a genuine Manchester United playe?. Is it squad building or further segmentation? The PSG hangs around the place like a stinky wet fart, it just won't go away. I'd suggest waiting till the end of the season , by then we'll all know what direction all parties involved are heading

Y'all can down vote to your hearts content. My opinion remains mine and ready to defend it anytime anywhere anyplace. The first mistake was hiring Jose in the first place. That's what desperation can do. We were desperate and took the first offer of help that came round. Woody and co brought this on themselves with the lack of preparation when it became apparent LVG was failing to get through and was losing the dressing room. The lack of football people at the club is alarming. On the face of it we have the ultimate football man in fergie at the club but I honestly think the man is just paraded to reassure folks. Can't imagine he's in management in any capacity.

With regards to our club's hierarchy I agree with you 100%. I gave the example of Bayern before and how they are managed from top to bottom by ex players, legends in fact..In other words people who understand football. Woodward is a business man, a sponsorship freak, I would bet my house that he doesn't even understand jack shit about the game. In David Gill we had a gem, light years ahead of the numpty that is Woodward.

As for you standing up for your opinion then fair play mate however it won't stop me from baiting you and taking the piss at every opportunity, all in the name of fun banter of course. .

Woodward has nothing to do with the players we sign,that's on the manager.Football wise Jose has full control just like all previous managers did
So Woodward has nothing to do with anything on the football side of things except signing players the manager asks for
Also he's English so why wouldn't he understand football

I wanted Giggs and the lads of 92 to come in but i was in the minority,the large % of Utd fans were happy with both LVG and then Jose being hired.

In what way is Woodward incompetent football wise ? he has nothing to do with anything football wise
What Lims was referring too was the hiring of the managers after Sir Alex and the amount of money spent on players without having any structure.All those players have been asked for by the managers so how is that Woody's fault.

There more of a chance of Woodward understanding football than not with him being English, has nothing to do with Cricket which doesn't even have close to the same amount of fans

Pls outline your criteria for a successful manager ? It's can't be just title contention and attacking football. You're better than that!

Your attack on Jose Mourinho is unjust. He's been here less than 18 months played Good , bad and ugly football yet won two trophies and returned us to the holy grail of football and attracted the worlds best players ...Yet at the slightest opportunity you get, you rinse him.
Come on buddy, some objectivity pls!

There were signings that Fergie made that didn't make any sense whatsoever.... BEBE!!!!!!!!!! Fergie also claimed that there was no value in the transfer market and then Spurs signed Van der Vaart the very next day for less than BEBE ( who happened to be in the second division of the fucking Portuguese league)

Spot on re some of Fergie's signings, while Bebe is a stand out...How about Djemba Djemba, Kleberson (a few more of course) and one of my personal favs Taibi haha..

Of course the great man made up for it more times than most which made his fuck ups even more hilarious

Tod

Let me simplify it...You said simply because Woodward is English then automatically he should be expected to understand football, did you not? That statement is so far from the truth its actually silly...Like every Italian can cook pasta, every Brazilian kid can play football etc etc etc Your generalization is way off the mark....Capiche?

Yusuf of course Sir Alex made bad signings every manager does,the difference being we never finished any worse than 3rd in the Premier and even through his re builds maintained a superior level of football,without needing all the money being given to the managers since he left.
You keep banging on about Utd signing Perisic that Inter wanted 55 mill for.Considering Jose has already said Lukaku is undroppable until Ibra gets back,that would've meant marginalizing Rashford and Martial even further when they should be playing more as it is.Utd also don't have a bottomless pit of money if Perisic was so important to him should've prioritized him over spending 40 mill on Lindelof or sold some players to free up money
The league cup is inconsequential has a 100k prize money and is used by most clubs as a run out for the fringe players.We were big favs to win the Europa league right from the start and saved us from a embarrassing season similar to the 2 other managers getting fired.
It's league form that a manager is judged on with a strong showing in the CL next,that's what the success of Utd is based on.

No i'm not kidding at all i wanted to see Giggs,G.Nev,Scholes,N.Butt etc comeback and get the Utd ethos back.
I don't think they'd have done any worse than LVG or Jose. Wouldn't have had any problems signing players because they're all respected and all of them love the club.
Giggs did nothing wrong at Utd and G.nev made a bad choice by going to Spain doesn't make him a bad football man. I truly believe if that had happened we'd be in a much stronger position playing better football and not all this constant negative drama.

If it comes up as a reference point to what someone else is saying i'll use it.The facts are that's what Jose said, Lukaku is undroppable except for Ibra,so if Perisic had been signed would've meant less playing time for Martial and Rashford,that should be obvious to anyone.

Do what you want mate i don't care what you think.Since joining Utd Jose has showed me nothing on why he's rated as one of the top managers in the World,on any level of management and if he doesn't have a successful year,i think his jobs in jeopardy

I'm not the only one who thought Giggs should've been given a chance once LVG was slipping
This is what i don't understand Giggs,Scholes and G.Nev are all quality footballers who spent their whole careers at Utd under Sir Alex.Sir Alex said himself if Giggs had retired earlier would've been his #2 and that Giggs will become a great manager
So why is it so unusual for Utd fans who wanted to see Giggs and co be given a chance that would have Utd's best interest at heart.

Not being romantic just pointing out that both LVG and Jose came with best in the World credentials and from my point of view haven't seen what earned either their reputations
I'll trust Sir Alex's opinion over most people when it comes to football and when judging a persons psyche he said Giggs will make a great manager.I think G.Nev is a very bright man and one of the best annalists in the game,one bad decision doesn't make him a bad football man,Scholes had been working with the reserves dating back to Pogba's first time around and Nicky Butt has been doing good work for the current reserves.Putting people together who love the club,know what the club is about and all have the winners mentality is a good thing and couldn't have been any worse than whats been served up over the last 4 seasons
If you disagree fine

Sir Alex worked daily with Giggs for 20 odd years.You use the same line every time well Sir Alex wanted Moyes, dismissing 25 odd years arguably the greatest manager ever and without doubt one of the best judgement of a persons character ever as if it didn't mean anything.It's a convenient comment but it's being disrespectful to Sir Alex and his achievements

So what if Giggs was sitting alongside him in the dugout ? unless that is LVG was Giggs assistant and it was Giggs deciding on the players to buy and the tactics.By all accounts there was a lot of friction between Giggs and LVG because Giggs didn't like what was happening

People also need to get their facts right before picking on Giggs he didn't get snubbed at every interview he turned down Swansea job and another job. I also never read he went to interviews and was turned down for either Leicester or Everton jobs.So just made up stuff again.
I never thought the day would come when Utds greatest manager and biggest legends would be disrespected and attacked on here,just shameful really

No one has any clue how Giggs and the lads from 92 would've done but things we do know
Gigg's had Sir Alex's confidence.Knew he wanted to get into management long before retiring and had all his badges while still playing.The fact he played at the very top level for 24 yeas and reinvented himself in the way he played and life choices to stay fitter shows his character and determination
Class of 92 all Reds through and through and love the club
All winners and played under one of the greatest managers ever their whole careers
All understand Utd and what's expected of the players and the football to be played
All respected among footballers and would have no issues signing anyone

I stand by what i said Giggs and co could've done no worse,would've had us playing better football and a lot more firmer footing.

We had 2 seasons of a manager who believed in and said LvG: You don't always have to score but you do need to keep possession

Now a manager who still lives out of a hotel room.Never looks happy can't seem to exist without some negative drama.Whether it be going after players,fans,calling other clubs 'magic' and 'special',or that he's unhappy about not getting more money to spend.
Supposedly he's already looking for a 20 % pay rise on a 15 mill per year contract and quite frankly has barely improved anything from LVG despite the club spending more and more money.
Damn straight i'm grumpy and unhappy about what's going on and the lack of progression made over the last 4 years and the overall football we've been subjected to.
It would've been worth taking a gamble of the lads of 92 instead of this throw money at the problem quick fix approach using managers with big names who've under performed

'I never thought the day would come when Utds greatest manager and biggest legends would be disrespected and attacked on here,just shameful really'

Get off your high horse and enough with your hollier than thou approach. I told you before that you are paranoid and that statement is further proof. WHO disrespected Sir Alex or Giggs on here? Everyone except yourself has been saying that Giggs is not cut out for management, how on earth is that being disrespectful except in your books because it simply goes against your way of thinking..

Furthermore WHIO disrespected Sir Alex? Because we highlighted his failed signings? It IS a fact that the great man did fuck up at times did he not? I fail to see how that is disrespectful.

Here is the thing with you......Your get your head twisted on some theory and then become relentless in trying to convince everyone that you are right whilst 9/10 times you are just spouting nonsense.

By the way, its been a while since you've reminded us about Mourinho's away record against the top six!